Flying through May

Jun 6

If you had sat me down at the beginning of 2019 and described to me what May 2021 would look like I am not sure I would have dared to believe you.

I have always had big aspirations. I am driven to push myself hard; to keep learning, improving, challenging myself on every level. I want to be the best sailor I can be and my Vendee globe campaign was always going to consist of two or more races. The first race was just about getting out there, getting confidence and proving to myself that I was worthy of being a competitor. The second race would be about consolidating what I had learned and pushing my performance to a new place.

I had this second race in my head and from the moment crossed the finish line in February this year I was driven to make it happen. Luckily for me Medallia felt the same way and so we agreed to continue our partnership and to buy a boat as early as possible so I could start training. And what a boat we have ended up with.

We are now the proud owners of a 2016 generation foiling IMOCA designed by Verdier and VPLP. This was exactly the boat that I decided would be the perfect next step for me. But we haven’t just got any boat, we have the boat that won the 2016 Vendee Globe race as Banque Populaire, and came third in this last race with Louis Burton as Bureau Vallee. I just can’t believe that I have ended up with such an incredible boat.

We officially took ownership of the new Medallia at the beginning of May and there is going to be so much to learn and to share with you as we make it our own.

But my month did not end there.

In the middle of May I was invited to join the other five women who raced with me around the world to address the French Senate Committee for women’s rights about our experiences and journeys to competing at the highest International level of a male dominated sport. It was such an incredible honour.

I was nervous before the session but met up with Sam and Alexia in the morning and they helped to ease my anxiety. On arrival to the Palais du Luxemborg, we were met by the President of the Senate, who is the deputy to the French President and we had our picture taken with him and other senators. He was not part of our debate but was keen to meet with us and so had postponed a meeting that day. I had prepared and practiced a short account of my journey to the Vendee with my French tutor all of that week and, I think, put the translators out a little bit by insisting on delivering it in French. After all, when again in my life will I get to address the French Senate in this way. I was fairly committed to saying my bit in their native tongue.

The whole experience was such an honour. Due to all of the COVID restrictions I have never had much opportunity to speak with or get to know the other Vendee Ladies, but listening to their stories and hearing their answers to the questions the committee asked I was struck by how similar all of our experiences are, how our views, goals, aspirations are all aligned and what a strong, supportive and incredible group of women I was sitting among. It makes me so proud to be one of them.

We each described how difficult it has been to gain opportunities, credibility, be taken seriously, find funding and support. For every one of us the journey has been tough but we revel in the fact that when we are out on the ocean we are equal. The debate lasted a couple of hours and we were asked some thoughtful and challenging questions which are designed to help the committee understand best how they can support women in elite sport. When it came to the question ‘Did we feel it would be better for women to have their own class in the Vendee Globe race?’ The resounding and passionate answer was ‘No!’.

The following Saturday was the official Vendee Globe Prize Giving in Les Sables D’Olonnes. This was a much smaller affair than is normal for the race. It was behind closed doors and the skippers all met for an outside lunch on the terrace overlooking the marina in Les Sables D’Olonnes then had a socially distanced prize giving which was broadcast on the TV and online.

This was the first time I had been in the same place as all of the other skippers since the starting photo was taken on the pontoons in November last year. It was the first time I got to congratulate people, say hi, introduce myself properly. There was a lot of fist bumping and smiling. It was quiet but a real celebration and a chance for us all to give Yannick Bestaven, the winner, the applause he so deserves.

All the finishers in the race were presented with a trophy and though I am not one for ‘dust catchers’ in my home, this is something I will treasure and display forever.

It feels like the 2020 race is properly over now. It’s time to focus on what is ahead. Time is already slipping away – 3.5 years to the next Vendee Globe Race and both me and my boat have a big mountain to climb.

In the meantime, I have been invited to race with team Bureau Vallee on Leg 2 of the Ocean Race Europe. This is going to be such a great experience for me. The team have purchased the 2020 generation boat that raced as L’Occitane. The Ocean Race Europe is a fully crewed event with short legs and we will be racing against four other IMOCAs. My leg is between Lisbon and Alicante. I am going to use the opportunity to learn as much as I can. It will after all be my first foiling experience.

I can’t wait to be sailing again.

Pip Hare

Flying through May

Q&A

Learning from the past, looking to the future